Fueling Speculation: Sumping for Safety Still Critical to Preflight Checklist

Instructor recounts a flight where an emergency landing revealed the critical importance of meticulous preflight checks.

Nikita Gabdrakhmanov

Friday, September 26, 2025 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

The investigation suggested it was a crew fault, with the FAA and maintenance personnel suggesting we hadn’t sumped the fuel to check for water. ...This was not true. [Image: Joel Kimmel]

Key Takeaways:

An instructor candidate improperly sumped a Cessna 152's fuel (belly first) after heavy rains, leading to no initial detection of water before flight.
During the fourth takeoff, the engine sputtered and lost power at 50 feet, prompting an emergency soft-field landing by the assistant chief instructor without damage.
Post-incident, half a cup of water was discovered in the fuel strainer, attributed to the incorrect sumping order which allowed water to re-accumulate from the tanks during flight maneuvers, underscoring the critical importance of strictly adhering to fuel sumping procedures in the POH.

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The incident occurred in November 2023 during Florida’s hurricane season, a time known for storms and heavy rain that can last days or even weeks.

After a week of rain, our flight school resumed operations. As a Part 141 school, we follow comprehensive safety practices and procedures manual for how pilots must conduct preflight checks. These emphasize the importance of following checklists and carefully reviewing the aircraft’s POH.